Female, male and even child models may well be asked to wear certain clothes or colours when taking part in a photo or film shoot.
For some assignments they may even be given outfits to wear by a wardrobe department.
But there will also be many occasions when models will be required to put together their own looks – this may be for bookings, updating their own modelling shots or even just in everyday life.
After all, who doesn’t want to look their best at all times?
Most of us have an idea of which cuts of trousers, dresses and tops suit us and there are colours we favour too.
But have we ever paused to consider whether those particular shades are right for our skin tones?
Wander round the shops this autumn and winter 2024 season and you will see some fabulous colours – sage greens, strong oranges, electric navy hues and vibrant coral.
These are all absolutely gorgeous but, beware, they don’t all suit everyone!
Picking the wrong shades for your skin can have disastrous effects – it can leave you looking pale, sickly and washed out.
It can cause your skin to seem uneven and unsettled and can highlight dark rings, patches of dryness and areas of acne, redness and other marks.
There are no hard and fast rules to choosing the right colours because our skin tones fall into a glorious spectrum of shades.
Furthermore, no single one of us has the same skin tone over our whole body and, of course, our skin changes through the seasons and depending on our health.
The most important thing, however, is to experiment – and to do this with a friend or family member who will be completely honest in telling you what works and what doesn’t.
Firstly, dig out a full selection of clothes from your wardrobe and have a dressing-up session.
Try different shades inside the house and out and take lots of photos so you can look back.
Then, source a selection of new and different colours – try charity shops for old material or a fabric retailer for off-cuts or swatches.
Hold them near your face to experiment with these newer shades.
And remember, that when teamed up, colours behave very differently with each other and with your skin type.
Broadly speaking, those with paler, cooler skin tones tend to be able to carry off shades of blue, silver, emerald, lavender, pink, fuchsia, burgundy and purple.
Those with warmer, darker skins may find yellows, olives, peaches, golds and warm reds work well for them.
But there are no hard and fast rules, so don’t grab something from the rail in a shop without really thinking about it first.
There are colours out there that we may love – but it is quite possible that they won’t love us!
